very diplomatic and thoughtful.

That's our diplomatic corps ...

t /family preening

Do small countries really feel that the UN is important in the world? I think most Americans are still smarting from the debating-society, Zionism=racism, having to take places like Libya and the old Soviet Union as a moral force, and some very well-publicized crimes by diplomats and diplomat's kids in NY era.

I can't speak for many, but a country the size of J'ca doesn't get much chance to have an influence on a global scale (well, there's the pervasive undercover effort I can't tell you about until just before I kill you) except in arenas like the UN. We don't have the money, or the weapons of mass destruction or anything.

What do crimes by diplomats have to do with the UN?

So, if there is an unwanted draft will the Aussies split for NZ the way the Americans split for Canada?

Well, considering it would require a plane or boat to get there, probably not.

Of course, as someone who's never had to worry about the draft, it's a moot point for me. :)

It would take them a train or boat to get anywhere, unless...

t Trudy sees "Crocodile Dundee" in a whole new light

Oh, the crimes had nothing to do with the UN per se, but they did make the diplomats look like criminals hiding behind their immunity and made their high-flying speeches inside the UN itself look sort of hypocritical. Cars with Dip Corp plates parking wherever they please in scarce spaces were a running joke with late-night comedians for years.

But that taints all of diplomacy, not just the UN. Man, the difficulty I used to have explaining to people that my dad was a career diplomat, not a gift appointee, stunned me. I can't imagine why you'd hand someone an important spot like that because you kinda like them.

yeah, the concept of ambassadorships to random cronies never made much sense to me....i mean, giving them to the guy-from-your-party as opposed to the equally qualified guy from the other party, both of whom worked their way up the dip corps? That would be...well, maybe not sensible, but understandable.

oh, sorry...

t /american running away from thread so as not to further american-ly crowd it

Not got time or energy to jump into this right now. But go FayJay! Go FayJay! Go FayJay!

after all, equally adolescent Americans refusing to buy French wine

But we have been mocking them ruthlessly for weeks.

supporting mocking no big dif.

even Romanian peasants get satellite TV (along with their wood-burning stove, their scythe-cut grass and their milk squeezed fresh from the cow)

Stereotype much. Hillbillies get satellite too.

Here's the thing: Europe isn't a country. Europe isn't one ideology or one political system. So if you're going to base an argument on a US/Europe dichotomy we may have some problems, because Europe doesn't have or express one unified opinion about, well, pretty much anything. What with Europe comprising a shitload of different countries.

FayJay, you know people are using the phrase “United States of Europe” with a straight face now yes?

Hello, we are the UK, Rock, please let me introduce you to Hard Place.

I bet Marlboros (cigarettes) are all over the place, but giving those up would be too hard.

Not. Really now if I can anyone can. Slainte mhath!

But they seem to making it very clear what they're against without saying what they're FOR. What will they do against Saddam?

Nothing. The pressing need to do NOTHING AGAINST SADDAM. Monarchs / ultimate rulers / dictators NOT a new concept here no-one else is scared of him. Wheels need axles and all that jazz.

Oh, FayJay Re: European Union. The Queen of England is in a strong position here what with Germany being all dominaty.

IMO & IJS.